Renting a 2 Wheel Drive Car vs. a 4 Wheel Drive SUV in Costa Rica

What is the best car / utility vehicle for each situation?

With my non-profit hotel association, Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica, about every two years, sometimes in the rainy (green) season, sometimes in the sunny (high) season, I clock approximately 2800 kilometers driving around Costa Rica, visiting all potential and new member hotels. Therefore I have gained quite a bit of knowledge about driving around Costa Rica at all times of the year.

Though Costa Rica looks small on a world map, it takes about fourteen hours to drive diagonally from one corner to the next. Traversing the rugged landscape, few highways are straight. And when you see a sign giving directions or kilometers to a certain town, take advantage of it! Costa Rica’s Million Dollar Gift of Happiness campaign by the ICT would have been far more productive spending the money signing the roads better for lost tourists, than giving the money away to some lucky tourists who can already afford a vacation, but that’s another story!

For the last seventeen years I have been making reservations for guests at my two consecutive Costa Rica hotels, Hemingway Inn and Adventure Inn and arranging good value car rentals for my guests (and others). I often get asked the question, “What do I need, a 2 wheel drive sedan or a 4 wheel drive SUV style car?”

From Civil War Survivor to Rental Car Entrepreneur

The interview with Rember Guevara of Service Car Rental was ending when he looked at me pensively and said, “There is really so much more, what happened in my life, and how I got to Costa Rica.”  I said, “What do you mean?” not knowing anything about his past.  He then explained how he and his mother and brother were fugitives from the horrible civil war in El Salvador in the ’70’s and ‘80’s – the intimidation, the atrocities, and luckily, how they eventually were able to flee to Costa Rica.

To me, this put an even a greater emphasis on his story of entrepreneurship that I had just listened to.  Here was a person that had started out with some of the worst disadvantages in life, and now, he was the owner of a successful rental car company in Costa Rica, which is an extremely competitive market.  What a compelling testimony not only to him as a person, but also to Costa Rica for providing the environment in which he could reach his potential.

Rember Guevara - Owner Service Car Rental

Urban revitalization rides in on bikes

A group of young professionals calling themselves ChepeCletas is poised to transform San José into a haven for bikers, and they are doing it one ride at a time.

Ayal Bryant, Sandra Solorzano, Roberto Guzman are the minds behind ChepeCletas, an urban movement looking for the rebirth of San Jose in the use of bicycles instead of cars.

The group’s eventual goal is to make the city bike friendly. They are first making use of park spaces hoping to show city leaders that, yes, there is a demand for more pedal-friendly environments.

From there, they hope to create bike paths, close roads for Sunday rides and introduce pedicabs. The movement is picking up traction as they’ve already received the support of San José Mayor Johnny Araya and the interest of the U.S. Embassy.

Check out their Web site for information on free tours. For The Tico Times story, see www.ticotimes.net.

Getting a Costa Rica driver’s license

By Chrissie Long | Tico Times Staff

If you are staying in the country for a period longer than three months (a.k.a. you are a temporary or permanent resident) and you plan to drive a car, you should invest the time to get a driver’s license.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A copy of your passport photo page as well as the stamp of  last entry into Costa Rica.
• A copy of your foreign driver’s license.
• The originals of both your passport and driver’s license.
• A medical document stating you are in good health (which includes your blood type).*
• 4,000 colones

*COSEVI has a medical office (200 meters east of their San José facility) which will take your blood type and do the medical exam in less than a half hour for a cost of ₡15,000. Need directions? Talk to a guard at COSEVI and they will point you in the right direction.

Where and when to go: The line for foreigners with a valid driver’s license is only open from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The line

Can I take a rental car and drive to Nicaragua or Panama?

By Chrissie Long | Tico Times Staff

Due to insurance reasons, it is impossible to take a rental car outside of Costa Rica. Some rental companies (see Alamo or National) offer the possibility of renting a car in Costa Rica, leaving it at the border and picking up a different car on the other side.  A fee ranging from $50 to $150 may be applied.

Beating the Escazú traffic blues

By Meg Yamamoto | Tico Times Staff

Traffic in the western suburb of Escazú took a notable turn for the worse after the new tollbooth opened on the highway between San José and Ciudad Colón. To avoid the ₡325 toll, more people are detouring to Calle Vieja, the old road between Escazú and Santa Ana, and this byway is now frequently clogged with traffic, as is the road that leads from the Multiplaza to La Paco commercial center.